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Review: Grimm Tales of Terror #13

Posted on July 30, 2015 by

The medium of comics is perhaps not one which is well suited for horror titles. Although horror focused stories were a mainstay of comics in the 1970s, and were popular enough for an extended time, the medium doesn’t benefit from its usual advantages in story telling. The combination of writing and art generally makes nearly any story possible to tell, even stories that could not be told in books or on screen, but horror is a medium that is more conducive to other mediums, either through the slow buildup of tension in a book, or through the theatrical tricks of cinema. As a series Grimm Tales of Terror has been generally good enough at overcoming that handicap. At times the stories are pretty regular, as though they came out of any 1970s horror anthology title, but the addition of Keres as a cruel arbiter of justice has helped the series as well.

This issue represents the final issue of the first volume of the series, and true to most of its inspiration for stories thus far, focuses on an urban legend. This urban legend is one of the more grisly, choosing the urban legend of being drugged and waking up in a bathtub with organs missing. While that is here, there are some parts of this issue that go a bit further. Gore based horror and even torture porn, even though they are not the best that the genre has to offer by a long shot, are also done much better elsewhere, and as this issue incorporates a bit of both, it gives the issue less of a chance to succeed.

The end result is a bit disappointing, but the series still deserves some credit for trying something else. It is not a story which is ever really eerie, nor does it give any sense of great tension, but it at least captures some of the elements of the genre. It has succeeded in other issues in its run, but it falls a bit flat here. Perhaps the best thing about this issue is the blurb at the end, indicating that Zenescope intends to return with the series for a second volume, as this series has been pretty good overall, even when individual issues, such as this one, don’t really succeed.

Story: Joe Brusha and Ralph Tedesco Art: Ferran Sellares
Story: 7.0 Art: 7.0 Overall: 7.0 Recommendation: Pass

We Talk About Lettering Grimm Tales of Terror with Micah Myers

Posted on July 13, 2015 by

Micah Myers is relatively new to the field of comics, but he has already made his mark. Working primarily for Zenescope he has lettered many of the company’s newer offerings and has already built up a portfolio of over twenty issues, including a quarter of the Grimm Tales of Terror issues. We were pretty interested to talk him because we don’t usually get to talk to letterers and to see what goes on inside their world. He gave us some insight as well as some of his own personal goals

Graphic Policy: How did you decide to become a letterrer? And what training did you receive?

Micah Myers: I became a letterer after I realized I couldn’t draw, and the process of coloring comics was too complicated for me to figure out.

MM: But really, I have always been interested in graphic design and typography. I enrolled in school to learn it after failing at a bunch of other careers. At the same time I was looking into lettering in comics. I had bought a few books about it, started following letterers on Twitter and asking them advice, and practicing as much as I could. After a year or so, I thought I had gotten good enough to apply for jobs, and after a while I started getting work.

GP: How much input do you get into the layout of an issue? It would seem that you would need to discuss with the illustrator and writer what will fit and what not?

MM: For the most part, letterers don’t really have any say in the layout. We just get stuck for the room we are given and make it work. Most artists are smart and leave the room, but if not, then it is my job to make it work. That is why we get paid the medium bucks.

GP: In certain cases the text changes based on who is talking (for instance with Keres in Grimm Tales of Terror.) How is it decided how to represent this?

MM: For Keres, I am matching it with Jim Campbell’s previous work on the book. On other things, sometimes it is in the script that the writer wants a certain color or font style for a character. Other times, it is up to you. You get a feel for it. If a character has a big scary look, he would have a rough balloon and/or a black balloon. Mostly though, it is up to the letterer’s style choice. Goofy characters would get a silly font, robots would get a computer font, and supernatural characters would get a spooky font.

GP: Does changing the tone and format of the text make it easier or harder to represent?

MM: It makes it easier, but when it is overused, like for every character in the book getting their own lettering style, it makes the book look cheesy.

GP: While there are sometimes very noticeable changes such as this kind of text, are there less noticeable ones that letterers will use?

MM: I am not too sure. There is bolding the words for emphasis or yelling.

GP: How much input does the letterer have into the actual text? There must be times that the writer wants to say things that just don’t make sense for some reason or another?

MM: There have been times when the artist has changed the character’s positions from the script. Like the character saying “Get off the floor” but the artist already drew the other character standing. I would say something to writer about it. Simple stuff like that. I don’t give any input on the dialogue quality-wise. I am not qualified to critique another person’s writing.

GP: Do you find that you get to like certain characters more than other after adding in the lettering?

MM: I do feel a bit of pride for the comics I have done. When I see other people lettering the books after me, it is like someone else is playing with my toys. Even though, I have no ownership of the characters and play a small part in the comics.

GP: Are there characters that you would like to get a chance to letter?

MM: My favorite character is Green Arrow so I would love to be involved in a Green Arrow comic. Even more of a dream come true if Mike Grell was also on the book. I also would like to do the yellow balloons for Deadpool.

Review: Grimm Tales of Terror #12

Posted on July 2, 2015 by

It is said that the best horrors contain elements of what is left unseen. This horror which fills the mind with the thoughts of what could be there is often much scarier than to know what is there, as everyone’s personal bogeyman can be lurking around any corner when it is not shown, but the illusion is dropped when the true threat is revealed. In the medium of comics this is often harder to realize. Without camera tricks, lighting and sound effects, what can be off panel is just not as scary as maybe can lay at the end of a television or movie screen.

For most of its now 12 issues, this series has been one that has mirrored what was the early success of its predecessor, the main Grimm Fairy Tales story. It took the format of showing someone is distress when series narrator Keres showed up and told them of a story where things had gone wrong for others. This format has not been particularly heavily adhered to, but it is kind of the same thing here, with only a looser tie to this same story telling. It tells the story of a mafioso who is in for a night in a gambling den, except that he has a dark past. This is where the story diverges a little bit from this usual formula as the person learning the lesson is also the one that is involved with the main story featuring the horror element. This story tells the tale of a man buried alive after crossing the mob, but one who fights back to find his family despite the odds.

Although it deviates a bit from the script, this issue ends up being one of the best so far in this series. Instead of relying on shock value, the horror is played down where it needs to be and is mostly kept unseen. At the same time, that both the narrator Keres and the one receiving her lesson are more present and related to the story makes this a bit better of a hook compared to others in the series. Overall this is thus one of the best entries so far in the series, some of which had bit hits and others of which have been misses.

Story: Dan Wickline Art: Josh George and Ronilson Freire
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Read

Review: Grimm Tales of Terror #11

Posted on May 28, 2015 by

This series from Zenescope has managed at times to provide some definitely spooky issues, and it is despite the fact that comics do not provide a very good platform for horror stories. What this series has managed to utilize is two-fold. It takes the formula which was used in the early days of Grimm Fairy Tales by using both a story and an out-of-continuity morality lesson, and combines it with what is a fairly common stereotype or plot from horror stories. It doesn’t always work for this series, but as many have worked which haven’t which is a pretty good success for a series such as this one.

This story incorporates in one of the fairly common motifs in storytelling for horrors, and then expands on it with some more. The initial setup is that of two college students going to visit their grieving professor after the death of his wife. Once they arrive they discover that there is much more to the professor’s house than what they had first anticipated with a daughter who is enticingly beautiful. This is a play on the haunted house story, and throws in one of the lesser used motifs, that of the girl that shouldn’t be touched, and plays upon it, bringing in some inspiration from what could be Invasion of the Body Snatchers or Day of the Triffids. Incidentally it has been the case that the morality tale is what gives the story more depth in this series, but it mostly is irrelevant here. It is easy enough to see where the morality tale is going, and acts as more of a distraction from the fun bit of horror that the creative team has managed to put together.

Although this issue relies on some of the lesser famous motifs of the horror genre, it still manages to put together a strong issue. The horror element is executed well enough, as is the twist ending. While series is ostensibly linked to the lessons as taught by Keres, it doesn’t even require this as a plot element here, instead relying on the dark concept and good execution.

Story: Joe Brusha, Ralph Tedesco and Steve Yockey Art: Vincenzo Riccardi
Story: 8.3 Art: 8.3 Overall: 8.3 Recommendation: Read

Review: Grimm Tales of Terror #9

Posted on March 11, 2015 by

The quality of this series has thus far rested on the familiar but discarded formula from Grimm Fairy Tales. Take a fairy tale (or urban legend in this series) and retell it slightly and add in a real world punishment for someone who has committed a sin similar to those crimes. When this series has been best, it has been because it has manged to find this balance between the supernatural and a real world analogy. This is the first issue thus far of the nine which has succeeded without this formula, even if its punch is not as bad as the others.

Where this issue succeeds is in partial successes of both of the two aspects which have tied this series together. Of course, one of the aspects of an urban legends story is the use of lot of gory horror, and this issue succeeds in doing so. Where it also succeeds is in one of the staples of horrors which is often overlooked, that being that the unknown can be more frightening than the known. An excessive amount of gore can be scary but so too can the lack of information. This story uses this in an obvious way, by also leaving it a little open ended as to what might be the outcome for one of its main characters. On the other side the real world analogy does not tie into the urban legend very directly, but the choice of the setup to the end of issue revelation certainly does work.

This series has been through some ups and downs, but this one surprisingly proves more effective at showing off the narrator Keres as the more complex character, one that has been lurking in the background, acting as an arbiter of justice, though often on her own terms. As an issue which the publisher is providing for free (under certain conditions) this serves as a good vessel for the introduction of the character and the concept to a wider fan base. And while this is not the strongest example for this series, it still serves as a good example of the quality that Zenescope is capable of when people looked past their covers.

Story: Jow Brusha, Ralph Tedesco and Gerardo Preciado Art: Eleonora Carlini
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

Zenescope Offers Free Download of Grimm Tales of Terror #9

Posted on March 4, 2015 by Brett

Zenescope Entertainment is giving away a free digital download of its brand new issue: Grimm Tales of Terror #9. Any member of the Zenescope email list or who signs up to the list prior to Noon EST on March 13th will receive a FREE download of Zenescope’s horror comic.

Furthermore, all subscribers will also get a special Grimm Tales of Terror wallpaper sent to them FREE along with their comic download. In order to participate, fans can sign up for the Zenescope Entertainment newsletter here.

Grimm Tales of Terror is an anthological horror series, inspired by TALES FROM THE CRYPT and TWILIGHT ZONE. The series was created by Zenescope founders and Grimm Fairy Tales and Wonderland co-creators Ralph Tedesco and Joe Brusha.

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Review: Grimm Tales of Terror #8

Posted on February 16, 2015 by

This series has done well enough when it has recaptured what made the original series so strong from Grimm Fairy Tales. Instead of just telling a fairy tale, it managed to put that into a modern perspective with some issue that is enough of a problem in society so as to be worth addressing. Sometimes though with this series this format is pushed aside for something closer to a pure horror story, often with a little bit of a moral attached, but enough off target to be more for scares than for a deeper meaning. This one ends up being a bit of a combination of both, because of its inverted structure as it is not the main focus of the story that has a comeuppance here but rather the side story.

The story focuses on female hitchhikers, and because of that could probably have been deeper in some ways. The concept of the hitchhiker in horror and science fiction is a common enough one, and generally speaking the hitchhiker comes along with some unnatural abilities. That is the case here evidently, but the lesson learned from the main story is a bit weird, as clearly the villain of the story is hard to ascertain. This story does address an often ignored social problem, and that is of the danger posed to female hitchhikers, particularly those in some parts of Canada where it is the only legitimate form of transit and where murders or disappearances are often and unexplained. Through such a prism there is a bit of an actual moral payoff in this story, but it is more implied than verified.

This series has been unexpectedly good at times, but this particular issue does not manage the same impact that others had, either in terms of the scary horror moments nor in therms of any morale coming out of the story as told by the series main character Keres. What is left is a story that works on some levels but is unfortunately unbalanced in its outlook, and a little misguided by not digging a bit deeper.

Story: Steve Yockey Art: Eleonora Carlini
Story: 7.3 Art: 7.3 Overall: 7.3 Recommendation: Pass

Zenescope provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review.

Preview: Grimm Tales of Terror #8

Posted on February 14, 2015 by Brett

Grimm Tales of Terror #8 – “Black Eye”

Story by Joe Brusha, Ralph Tedesco, and Steve Yockey
Written by Steve Yockey
Artwork by Josh George
Colors by Rosario Costanzo
Letters by Micah Myers
Edited by Nicole Glade
Production & Design by Christopher Cote & Joi Dariel
Price: $3.99
Release Date: 2/18/15

Ghastly Award Nominated Series!

A lonely man picks up a young hitchhiker along the road. She turns out to be sweet and grateful for the ride. But what happens when a friendly ride turns into something else?

Preview: Grimm Tales of Terror #7

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Brett

Grimm Tales of Terror #7 – Bloody Mary

Story by Joe Brusha, Ralph Tedesco, Josh Gorfain
Written by Ralph Tedesco
Art by Joel Ojeda (1-13) and Eleonora Carlini (14-22)
Colors by Fran Gamboa
Letters by Micah Myers
Edited by Nicole Glade
Price: $3.99
Release Date: 2/4/15

As the legend goes, if you say those words three times while looking in a mirror, the ghost of Bloody Mary will appear. But what happens when an innocent ghost story becomes much more real?

The horror anthology series from Zenescope Entertainment continues!

Review: Grimm Tales of Terror #6

Posted on January 7, 2015 by

Grimm Tales of Terror is an unexpected hidden gem on the Zenescope brand. While the main stories of Grimm Fairy Tales have long since given up the format which made it so popular to begin with, this series harnesses a bit of what made that special and puts a bit of a twist on it. In place of Sela and Belinda is Keres, a far less sympathetic arbiter than even Belinda was. In place of fairy tales there are horror stories, usually not all that terrifying, but also somewhat on-point when it comes to their relevance to the story at hand.

In this particular story, a small girl is introduced, one that is afraid of the dark and the things that lurk there. As she grows up she is subjected to a variety of problems, she is orphaned and then bullied, and the headmaster at her orphanage seems to think it is ok to take advantage sexually of the underage girls, her roommate being one of his favorite targets. This being a horror story it does not end well for those that torment her, but it also wraps up well with a little bit of a morality tale thrown in for balance, making the lessons that she learned have a deeper meaning. The cover’s image indicates something more Lovecraftian in nature, and while the tentacles are missing within, there is definitely something to this as well, as it is more what remains unseen as opposed to what is visible.

It is not so much as a horror that this story succeeds, because the comic format is really not as well suited for the genre, but rather in the combination of horror with some other aspects where the story comes together. The previous issue was a bit more of a surprise in terms of its quality, and really the writing on it was better than what is seen here. Nonetheless, the story here does invoke some of the earlier days of this publisher and it is nice to see that the format still works, even when the story is not as much of a standout.

Story: Joe Brusha, Ralph Tedesco and Shane McKenzie Art: Claudia Balboni
Story: 7.7 Art: 7.7 Overall: 7.7 Recommendation: Read

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